


In His Shadow

by rubinaito



Series: Inner Reflections [1]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Anger, Brothers, Competitive, Gen, Jealousy, One Shot, Overshadowed Brother, Spoilers for Lucifer S5, Twins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:01:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26040838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubinaito/pseuds/rubinaito
Summary: Lucifer Morningstar is the famed ‘Lightbringer’, and even after everything he’s still the favored twin. Michael is sick of being the Lightbringer’s ‘shadow’, and his ‘heroic’ return to Hell was the final straw.
Relationships: Michael & Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV)
Series: Inner Reflections [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1891711
Comments: 9
Kudos: 46





	In His Shadow

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first public fic. Constructive criticism is more than welcome :)  
> I tried to keep this somewhat vague in terms of when it takes place, sort-of just a view of Michael’s thoughts and emotions during the second and third episodes.

In the beginning, his actions were out of jealousy. He denied it, yes, but Michael had a nasty habit of lying after all. And, besides, why would he want to admit weakness? He was the right-hand of God now. Superior to Samael in every possible way. To admit his jealousy would be to admit defeat, and accept that he was only second-best. Michael refused to be lesser than his brother.

He wanted to hit Samael where it hurt - to destroy the life he had built, to rip everything he loved apart and push him back down to the bottom of the barrel where he belonged. Michael clawed his way to where he was now, and he wasn’t going to let everything he worked for crumble apart because Sammy decided to play the hero. No, if Samael was going to play pretend, Michael would too. Yes it had been eons since he masqueraded as his brother but he sincerely doubted the angel had changed all that much. After all, they were two sides of the same coin, the perfect mirror images of each other. He knew his brother better than anyone, and he knew that Samael - ‘Lucifer’ - wouldn’t ever change.

The game they played was complex, and one-sided. His brother wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, despite what everyone thought. He was impulsive, never slowing down to think things through. Lucifer acted on desire, on whatever he wanted in the moment. He was selfish, self-absorbed, and that made him easy to play with. He couldn’t lie, not because of a silly little ‘honor’ system like he had everyone believe, but because he could never think things through in order to lie convincingly. Michael, however, was quite the opposite. While his brother led his life, seeking happiness, Michael was calculated. He thought of the long-term; he considered the consequences. He thought things through carefully, analyzing every potential outcome before he made a move. And while he wouldn't admit it to anyone, not even himself, his actions were based on fear. Deep down, Michael knew that he was disposable, an unwanted copy of everyone’s beloved Lightbringer. He didn’t want to be ignored, looked over, forgotten. 

He was afraid of being in the Lightbringer’s shadow, and that was what drove him. Michael set aside everything - his own happiness, his relationships with his siblings - so that he wouldn’t be left in the dark. And yet, Lucifer - the Devil himself, the fallen angel, the  _ disappointment -  _ was being praised? Adored and revered for returning somewhere he never should have left? Even now, as he sat fuming, he couldn’t fathom what made Lucifer so special. Why  _ he _ got everything - the praise, the adoration, even a dad-damned custom-made ‘soulmate’. As though he  _ earned _ it, as if he was still God’s favorite child. The insufferable bastard was still overshadowing Michael, even after everything the angel did to make sure he was in the spotlight.

All those years of manipulation, of carefully planned actions and obsessive determination, washed away because Lucifer returned to his punishment.

Perhaps the blind jealousy was what pushed Michael to make such a sudden, rash decision. He never could think clearly when it came to his own emotions. Suddenly, he was thrown back into the heat of this one-sided competition. The game had started right back up, and it was his move.

The best course of action, Michael ultimately decided, was to ruin Lucifer’s life. To tear away everything that he loved, and leave him alone and scared once again. There were plenty of options, many ways he could rip him to shreds, but he chose a classic ruse. One that he had played on everyone back in their youth, an easy little game where he stepped out of Michael’s shoes and into Lucifer’s. 

It started with jealousy. But, the longer Michael found himself on Earth, the more the jealousy would ebb away, replaced with curiosity and awe. He felt strange, as he worked to sweep Chloe Decker off her feet. Suddenly, she was in his arms, and he didn’t want to let go.

He loved her.

He loved the way she looked at him, those beautiful, large eyes that seemed to reflect the color of the skies. They were heavy with sadness, to see that ‘Lucifer’ had changed so much - but they were filled with excitement and pure, unadulterated joy every time he said ‘Detective’. She was a precious treasure, and as time wore on, Michael realized that perhaps he didn’t need to ruin Lucifer’s life. He could just  _ take _ it, and he could be happy. Chloe Decker was a remarkable woman, a beautiful specimen - and he wanted her all to himself.

It hurt to hear her call him ‘Lucifer’, but it gave him a thrill at the same time.  _ This _ was what it was like to be his obnoxious, self-centered twin; the praise, the affection, it was addicting. He found himself enjoying the company of humans, not just the lovely Detective. Daniel Espinoza, for example, was a charming individual; eccentric, and somewhat annoying, but Michael found his presence oddly comforting. Perhaps, he would even consider him a friend. Ella Lopez, well she was a miracle herself. The woman was always smiling, and talking, and doing her best to keep things lively. Yes, Michael was starting to see why Lucifer became so attached to these people, why he spent so much time with humanity. They were fascinating creatures and Michael was absolutely amazed by them. Their simplicity, their ignorance- yet, how complex they were, how knowledgeable and clever they could be. Earth was intoxicating, alluring. For the first time, Michael knew what it really was like to be Lucifer, being guided by desire rather than fear.

And yet, like everything always did, it fell apart. In a brief moment, his happiness was torn away. The hate in the detective’s eyes hurt more that the bullets she fired, it was such a deep, throbbing pain in his heart that he never felt before. She hated him; he wasn’t Lucifer. She didn’t want him.

Nobody wanted him.

It was blinding, the pain and anger he was feeling. He lost his rationality, and lashed out. It wasn’t jealousy or vengeance, it was pure loathing and fury. Why couldn’t he have what Lucifer had? Didn’t he deserve it too? They were meant to be equals, and yet Lucifer was everything Michael wasn’t. He had everything Michael didn’t. Even after the War, even after all the horrible things Lucifer did, he was still handed everything on a silver platter. He was still an obnoxious, self-centered asshole.

Michael wasn’t his equal. He was just a reflection. But the scar on his face, it did more than differentiate him from his brother. It gave him a new identity. They didn’t share the same face anymore, and it was time Michael showed everyone just who, exactly, this new angel was. He was going to take everything from Lucifer - not out of fear, not out of jealousy, but out of red-hot anger. 

This time, Lucifer wouldn’t even be in the shadows. Michael was going to take center stage, and his brother wasn’t going to be there to ruin it.


End file.
